A Deliberate Frame-Up

"So what does this have to do with me—" Mo Fan started to say. *Absolutely none of my damn business.*

"Actually, we suspect there's someone within the clan colluding with outsiders. Even with strict secrecy, word of this protection plan might still leak. My suggestion to the Chief Adjudicator was to bring in a trusted outsider."

"And I'm that trusted outsider?" Mo Fan pointed at himself, completely at a loss. *Why did I even bother calling her? If I'd never reached out to Tang Yue, I definitely wouldn't be getting dragged into something like this.*

Tang Yue's smile bloomed like a flower, her beautiful eyes fixed unwaveringly on Mo Fan.

*Just when I was agonizing over how to handle this, you walked right up to my door. Don't blame me for taking full advantage, little guy.*

Mo Fan couldn't shake the feeling that Tang Yue, with that expression on her face, resembled a snake flicking its tongue — like she might swallow him whole at any moment.

"I trust you — that's why I told you this secret. You're not part of our clan, you have no ties to any faction whatsoever, and your background is clean. On top of that, you're sharp and know how to think on your feet. Your showing up in Hangzhou is honestly the best thing that could've happened for me!" Tang Yue looked so pleased she seemed on the verge of planting a kiss on his cheek.

In truth, this matter had been weighing on Tang Yue for a long time.

The serpent god's once-a-decade shedding was a momentous event. In the eyes of outsiders, a creature like it might seem like an enormous threat to humanity — but having inherited this guardianship across so many generations, having spent so long alongside it, Tang Yue believed more than anyone that it was a true protector. It cared about this city more than any human did.

*The people nurture the city; the city nurtures the god; the god protects the people; the people revere the god.* If others could interact with it as she had, they would know that it was actually gentle — and kind.

Tang Yue was one of the few clan members who could approach the god directly. Since the god grew exceptionally volatile during its shedding period — developing intense hostility toward anyone or anything with too much power — the Chief Adjudicator and Heifeng had ultimately decided to place this critical mission in her hands.

The clan had no shortage of powerful fighters, but none of them could approach the god as freely as she could.

And since the god's irritability during its shedding made it wary of any powerful presence nearby, she was the obvious choice.

The stakes couldn't be higher — and yet there were reports of a traitor within the clan, which made the burden on Tang Yue's shoulders even heavier.

By sheer coincidence, Mo Fan had appeared right in front of her. To avoid any leak of the god's shedding location through the traitor, having Mo Fan fill one of the protective roles was perfectly suited to the situation.

That was why, the moment she received Mo Fan's call, she hadn't hesitated to lay everything out in the open. To put it plainly: she'd been steering him toward this from the very first word.

The number of people Tang Yue truly trusted was small. Mo Fan had made the list.

"Don't forget — you've always owed me a favor," Tang Yue said with a warm smile.

"I saved your life, you know."

"Hmph. You've also taken plenty of liberties with me!" Tang Yue shot back, color rising in her cheeks.

"The favor was just one Stardust Artifact, wasn't it? I'll give you two." Mo Fan could afford to be generous these days.

"That was then — this is now!" Tang Yue fumed. *This man — not an ounce of responsibility. He made a promise!*

Mo Fan felt like the universe had it out for him. How did he keep stumbling into these messes?

"Let me think it over," he said.

"All right." Tang Yue didn't press further — this was no small thing. "If you decide against it, forget everything we talked about today. The fewer people who know the god exists, the better."

The god was not something the world at large would accept. People would be gripped by a terror that stole their sleep at night. Just because the Hangzhou Tribunal and the local government upheld this ancient totemic tradition didn't mean the national authorities would tolerate it.

The god's appearance in the heart of the city had already drawn the attention of people from the Mingzhu Magic Tower Association and the Magic Court. There was no telling how many more mages would come pouring in to investigate — and if they collectively decided to execute the god at this critical moment, the serpent would have no chance to resist in its vulnerable shedding state.

Tang Yue pressed her lips together, her gaze falling on the pool brazier resting at the water's surface — that ancient flame that had burned there in patient silence for more years than anyone could count.

*Please let it get through this safely.*

"You really care about it, don't you?" Mo Fan asked quietly, watching Tang Yue as she seemed almost to be praying for the Sky-Scraping Serpent.

"My father died in a Demon-Beast battle when I was very young. I was still just a little girl when I came to live here alone. One time I went to play at Lingyin Mountain and ran into a rogue Fang Beast — there was no one around, and the creature looked starving. I thought I was going to die there. But after what felt like forever, I opened my eyes and found that the beast had fled in terror. I turned and looked out from the mountain over West Lake in the dark of night — moonlight was scattered across the water, and the vast shadow of a serpent was shifting in and out of view beneath the surface... That was the first time I saw it." A faint smile touched the corner of Tang Yue's lips. "It was enormous — impossibly enormous — but I wasn't afraid. It felt more like a neighbor, an elder, watching over me as I grew up. As long as I'm near West Lake, it will protect me."

Mo Fan listened without interrupting, seeing how earnestly she spoke.

The reason people need a home is for that feeling — the moment you step through the door, you can let your guard down entirely and live without fear.

For most children, that sense of safety came from parents and elders. For Tang Yue, it had come from the creature that struck dread into the hearts of the world — the Sky-Scraping Serpent. A genuinely extraordinary arrangement.

"I've heard that shed snakeskin is excellent material for top-grade Armor Enchanted Gear," Mo Fan said. "If I help you, I want a piece of whatever skin that thing sheds."

Given the Sky-Scraping Serpent's size, the shed skin alone could theoretically yield thousands of sets of Armor Enchanted Gear. Of course, what made material suitable for Enchanted Gear wasn't quantity — it was the innate properties locked in the creature's bones, blood, hide, and flesh. Even so, producing a dozen or more exceptional pieces of Armor Enchanted Gear should be no problem at all. Asking for one piece as compensation wasn't unreasonable.

"So that's your angle," Tang Yue said, giving him a mock glare.

"Not entirely," Mo Fan said, keeping a perfectly straight face. "You said it's like an elder to you — which makes it practically family now. And if it's a family matter, of course I can't just stand by and watch."

"Who said anything about being family with you?! Shameless!" Tang Yue's cheeks flushed a vivid rose, making her look like a young bride who had just stepped out from her chambers — utterly captivating.

Mo Fan burst out laughing at the rare sight of his teacher actually flustered.

In a huff, Tang Yue quickened her pace, refusing to spare a word for this brazen student who had the nerve to flirt with his own teacher. To cover her embarrassment, she pulled out her phone and pretended to check messages.

But the flush drained from her face almost immediately, replaced by something entirely different — a hot, furious red, her eyes locked rigidly on the screen.

"Outrageous. This is absolutely outrageous!" Tang Yue exclaimed, her voice tight with anger.

"What is it?"

"They're trying to frame the big guy..." Tang Yue thrust the latest news report toward Mo Fan.